1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an opening-and-closing member control device for controlling a motor to open and close a vehicular power window, and more particularly to an opening-and-closing member control device that the failure by short-circuit (including current leak), not to be overlook, can be avoided from occurring at between adjacent ones of switch terminals.
2. Description of the Related Art
In controlling an opening-and-closing member as in a vehicular power window (controlling at least the driver""s seat window), the mainstream is on the electronic control that realizes window auto operation (operation that the window automatically moves to the full closure or open position even if the user quits manipulation), auto-reverse operation during a detection of catching in. It is a general practice to use a relay-based driving scheme, as an opening-and-closing member control device that appropriately supplies power to a driving source motor and controls the operation thereof.
Namely, the opening-and-closing control device of this kind has two small-sized relays (those having what is called 1c contacts) for supplying power to the motor and driving the motor toward opening (toward opening the window) or toward closing (toward closing the window), a small-sized switch for generating an operation signal (terminal voltage) instructing motor operation (opening-and-closing member operation) responsive to user""s manipulation, and a control circuit for driving any of the relays depending upon an operating state of the switch (voltage change on the terminal due to internal contact operation). The device, in a state these elements are densely mounted on one board, is set up in a slight unoccupied space, such as vehicular door interior (in a backside of the window operating part).
Herein, the relays having 1c-contacts are each made up with an excitation coil and a contact having a common terminal (hereinafter, referred to as C terminal), a normally open terminal (hereinafter, referred to as N.O terminal) and normally closed terminal (hereinafter, referred to as N.C terminal). In a non-operating state the coil is not energized, the C terminal and the N.C terminal are in a state connected together while, in an operating state the coil is energized, the C terminal and the N.O terminal are in a state connected together. Usually, the N.O terminal of the relay is connected to a high-potential end of a power line (e.g. part applied by a battery output voltage of approximately 12 V), and the N.C terminal is connected to a ground end (a low potential end of the power source, usually connected to the earth). Meanwhile, the C terminal of the opening-sided relay, when connected to the high potential end, is connected to the terminal, on a side rotating the motor toward opening, of the both motor coil terminals of the motor. On the other hand, the C terminal of the closing-sided relay, when connected to the high potential end, is connected to the terminal, on a side rotating the motor toward closing, of the both motor coil terminals of the motor.
Meanwhile, the switch is generally structured in a module that a plurality of contacts are incorporated in a small case having a length of approximately 2 cm so that the terminal connection ends of the contacts project at a mounting surface of the case, i.e. a small-sized component mountable on a circuit board. In carrying out an auto operation, there are provided two normally open contacts for instructing a usual opening or closing (what is called manual operation the opening-and-closing member is to move only during user""s operation) and two normally open contacts for instructing an auto operation toward operating or closing, so that these contact can turn on responsive to the operation, for example, of the operating part (e.g. swing knob) provided on an inner surface of vehicular door. For example, when the operating part is operated a predetermined amount toward closing the window, the normally open contact for instructing a closure turns on. Furthermore, the operating part is further operated in the same direction beyond the predetermined amount, the normally open contact also turns on that instructs an auto operation toward closure. In case the contact turns on, one terminal (output terminal) of the contact is connected to the other terminal (common terminal) whereby, in contrivance, the voltage at the output terminal varies from a high potential (power potential) to a low potential (ground-ended potential) and read out by a control circuit.
In the control circuit, the change of terminal voltage is read by a built-in microcomputer to determine which contact of the switch has turned on (i.e., what operating instruction has been inputted) (hereinafter, referred to as operation determination). Depending on a result of the determination, the relay is energized under control of the microcomputer, thereby operating the motor. For example, in case of a determination that the normally open contact for instructing a usual closure is on, only a closing-sided relay is energized to connect one terminal of the motor to the power line thereby realizing a manual operation the motor is operated toward closure only when the normally open contact is on. Also, when determining further a turning on of the normally open contact for instructing an auto operation toward closure, even unless thereafter the operation determination is made, the closing-sided relay is continued driven to operate the motor toward closure (i.e. carrying out an auto operation toward closure) until determining a state of full open or catching in is entered. Incidentally, the determination of a full closure, full opening or catching a foreign matter is made based on an output of a Hall sensor incorporated in the motor that detects a moving position of a window glass or on a detected motor current value.
In the meanwhile, in the opening-and-closing control device as described above, the signal current to be inputted from the switch to the control circuit is as slight as approximately 10-100 mA. Furthermore, the interval of switch terminals is approximately 2 mm and the interval of lands for connecting the terminals to a board is approximately 0.6 mm. Should a foreign matter (what is called solder balls, moistened should dust, water drip due to dew, or the like) is put to between the adjacent ones of the terminals of the switch or the conductors in conduction to those (e.g. the lands on the board), there is a fear, not to overlook, of causing a failure by a slight short-circuit current due to the foreign matter, as in the following.
Namely, there is a possibility to cause an unintentional operation in the absence of user""s operation (failure mode 1), a fumigant combustion resulting from a tracking phenomenon (phenomenon forming an electric path due to carbonization in an insulating part) due to leakage at the high voltage line (e.g. 12-V line) and ground side (failure mode 2), an unintentional operation in the absence of user""s operation during a water flood (failure mode 3), or impossible opening despite user""s operation toward opening during a water flood (failure mode 4).
Consequently, it is the conventional practice to carry out secondary working, e.g. coating with an insulating material after switch assembling or mounting in order not to expose the conductor surface such as the terminal, or to implement especial production control not to cause solder balls. However, such secondary working forms a factor to raise mount-up of cost. Incidentally, in case the secondary working is abolished in order for cost reduction, such a problem is encountered that a sufficient margin cannot be secured for required performance (reliability not to cause the above failure mode). Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to provide an opening-and-closing member control device capable of inexpensively avoiding the occurrence of a failure, not to overlook in safety, due to a short-circuit (including current leak) at between adjacent switch terminals.
An opening-and-closing member control device of a first embodiment of the present invention is an opening-and-closing member control device having a contact for opening and closing an energizing line to a motor for driving an opening-and-closing member in a vehicle, to have two relays for operating the motor in a direction toward opening or closing the opening-and-closing member during operation, a switch to be operated by a manipulation of a vehicular user, and a control circuit for driving any of the relays depending upon an operation state of the switch, wherein,
the switch comprises:
a first common terminal (COMA) connected to a ground;
a closing signal terminal (MU) to be conducted to the first common terminal by an operation instructing for closing the opening-and-closing member and turned from a plus potential into a ground potential;
an opening signal terminal to be conducted to the first common terminal (MD) by an operation instructing for opening the opening-and-closing member and turned from a plus potential into the ground potential;
an auto-closing signal terminal (AU) to be conducted to the first common terminal by an operation instructing for auto-full-closing operation of the opening-and-closing member and turned from a plus potential into the ground potential; and
an auto-opening signal terminal (AD) to be conducted to the first common terminal by an operation instructing for auto-full-opening operation of the opening-and-closing member and turned from a plus potential into the ground potential;
the control circuit has functions of:
driving a closing-sided relay when the closing signal terminal is at the ground potential, and driving an opening-sided relay when the opening signal terminal is at the ground potential;
continuously driving the closing-sided relay until the opening-and-closing member is detected as in a full closed state or a foreign-matter-catching state when the closing signal terminal and the auto closing signal terminal become the ground potential; and
continuously driving the open-sided relay until the opening-and-closing member is detected as in a full opened state when the opening signal terminal and the auto opening signal terminal become the ground potential;
wherein arrangement is made such that the closing signal terminal (MU) and the first common terminal (COMA) as well as the opening signal terminal (MD) and the first common terminal (COMA) are not in adjacent relationships.
Herein, xe2x80x9csuch that . . . not in adjacent relationshipsxe2x80x9d means not to be in an adjacent relationship at a narrow spacing to possibly cause short-circuit by a foreign matter having possible adhesion. Also, xe2x80x9cgroundxe2x80x9d means a lower potential end of a power source, not necessarily requiring a grounding. Also, xe2x80x9cground potentialxe2x80x9d means a potential of a power source at a lower potential end, including what is called a low-level potential equal to or lower than a threshold for determining a voltage as a signal. Similarly, xe2x80x9cplus potentialxe2x80x9d means a potential of a power source at a higher potential end, including what is called a high-level potential equal to or higher than a threshold for determining a voltage as a signal.
According to the invention, what is called manual operation and auto operation is possible for the opening-and-closing member. Furthermore, should a conductive foreign matter is put between the adjacent ones of the terminals of the switch or the conductors in conduction to these (e.g. terminal-connecting lands on the board), the foregoing faulty modes do not occur. This is because, in the control device having the above configuration, there is only a possibility to cause failure mode 1 due to a short-circuit between the MU and the COMA, and between the MD and the COMA. Accordingly, in case arrangement is made with such a combination of terminals not in an adjacent relationship, the foregoing failure modes can be avoided from occurring with sufficient reliability.
Incidentally, in a preferable form of the invention, the switch further comprises a second common terminal (COMS) and normally closed terminal (NC) connected on an energizing line to the closing-sided relay, and a normally open terminal (NO) connected to the energizing line of the close-sided relay at a side opposite to the second common terminal wherein, by an operation instructing for opening the opening-and-closing member, switching is made from an energization enabled state that the second common terminal conducts with the normally closed terminal to thereby form an energizing line to the closing-sided relay into an energization disabled state of the closing-sided relay that the second common terminal conducts with the normally open terminal to thereby short-circuit between high-potential and low-potential ends of a drive coil of the closing-sided relay;
wherein arrangement is made such that, in addition to the closing signal terminal (MU) and the first common terminal (COMA) as well as the opening signal terminal (MD) and the first common terminal (COMA), the normally closed terminal (NC) and the first common terminal (COMA), the normally closed terminal (NC) and the normally open terminal (NO), the normally closed terminal (NC) and the second common terminal (COMS), the normally open terminal (NO) and the first common terminal (COMA), the normally open terminal (NO) and the second common terminal (COMS), and the first common terminal (COMA) and the second common terminal (COMS) are not in adjacent relationships.
In such a form, by an operation instructing for opening the opening-and-closing member, provided is an energization disabled state that the drive coil of the closing sided relay is short-circuited between its high-potential and low-potential ends (state impossible to drive the closing-sided relay). Because only the opening-sided relay is positively driven, the operation for opening the opening-and-closing member can be made with reliability even during a water flood. Namely, it is possible to avoid an occurrence of the foregoing failure mode 4 that results from driving both the relays by the control function for preventing the leak current or malfunction during a water flood.
Moreover, in this case, the arrangement of the switch terminals as in the above prevents the foregoing failure mode from occurring should a conductive foreign matter is put between the adjacent ones. This is because, with the control device configured as in the above, the combination of terminals to possibly cause any of faulty modes is as the showing in FIG. 6A. Incidentally, the numerals in FIG. 6 correspond to the kinds of the failure modes possible to occur. Accordingly, with the above arrangement not having such a combination in adjacent relationship, even in the event of an occurrence of short-circuit between adjacent terminals, it is possible to avoid all the faulty modes 1-4 mentioned above.
Incidentally, the foregoing terminal arrangement preferably includes a concrete example in a form of arrangement in an order of the COMS, the MD, the NO, the AD, the COMA, the AU, the NC and MU or in an order reverse to that.
Next, an opening-and-closing control device of a second invention is an opening-and-closing member control device having a contact for opening and closing an energizing line to a motor for driving an opening-and-closing member in a vehicle, to have two relays for operating the motor in a direction toward opening or closing the opening-and-closing member during operation, a switch to be operated by a manipulation of a vehicular user, and a control circuit for driving any of the relays depending upon an operation state of the switch, the opening-and-closing member control device wherein,
the switch comprises:
a ground-sided common terminal (COMA) connected to a ground;
a power-source-sided common terminal (COMB) connected to a high potential end of the power line;
a closing signal terminal (MU) to be conducted to the power-source-sided common terminal by an operation instructing for closing the opening-and-closing member and turned from the ground potential into a plus potential;
an opening signal terminal (MD) to be conducted to the power-source-sided common terminal by an operation instructing for opening the opening-and-closing member and turned from the ground potential into a plus potential;
an auto-closing signal terminal (AU) to be conducted to the ground-sided common terminal by an operation instructing for auto-full-closing operation of the opening-and-closing member and turned from a plus potential into a ground potential; and
an auto-opening signal terminal (AD) to be conducted to the ground-sided common terminal by an operation instructing for auto-full-opening operation of the opening-and-closing member and turned from the plus potential into the ground potential;
the control circuit has functions of:
driving the closing-sided relay when the closing signal terminal is at a plus potential, and driving the opening-sided relay when the opening signal terminal is at a plus potential;
continuously driving the closing-sided relay until the opening-and-closing member is detected as in a full closed state or a foreign-matter-catching state when the closing signal terminal becomes a plus potential and the auto closing signal terminal becomes the ground potential; and
continuously driving the open-sided relay until the opening-and-closing member is detected as in a full opened state when the opening signal terminal becomes a plus potential and the auto opening signal terminal becomes the ground potential;
wherein arrangement is made such that the closing signal terminal (MU) and the power-source-sided common terminal (COMB), the closing signal terminal (MU) and the auto-closing signal terminal (AU), the closing signal terminal (MU) and the auto-opening signal terminal (AD), the opening signal terminal (MD) and the power-source-sided common terminal (COMB), the opening signal terminal (MD) and the auto-closing signal terminal (AU), the opening signal terminal (MD) and the auto opening signal terminal (AD), and the power-source-sided common terminal (COMB) and the ground-sided common terminal (COMA) are not in adjacent relationships.
According to the invention, what is called manual operation and auto operation is possible for the opening-and-closing member. Furthermore, should a conductive foreign matter is put between the adjacent ones of the terminals of the switch or the conductors in conduction to these, the foregoing faulty modes do not occur. This is because, in the control device having the above configuration, the combination of terminals having a possibility to cause any of the failure modes is as in the showing of FIG. 6B. Accordingly, in case arrangement is made with such a combination of terminals not in an adjacent relationship, the foregoing failure modes 1-4 can be avoided from occurring even in the event of an occurrence of short-circuit at between adjacent terminals.
Incidentally, the foregoing terminal arrangement is preferably, as a concrete example, in a form that the arrangement is in an order of the COMA, the MD, the AD, the AD, the COMB, the AU and the MU or in an order reverse to that, and further the interval of the MD and AU and the AU and MU is set with a spacing not causing a short-circuit due to a foreign matter (such lowered insulation as a cause of the foregoing failure mode). Incidentally, the arrangement order of terminals is not limited to that, e.g. the order may be the COMA, the MU, the AU, the COMB, the AD and the MD or reverse to that. Also, herein xe2x80x9cthe spacing not causing a short-circuit due to a foreign matterxe2x80x9d is, concretely, a spacing of equal to or greater than 1.5 mm. For example, in the case the terminals are arranged at a pitch of approximately 2.6 mm, the interval of connecting lands is approximately 0.6 mm. Accordingly, there is a need to secure an interval that the amount corresponding to one terminal is thinned out or to have an adjacent terminal having a possibility to cause a failure mode.